The Necklace of Goddess Athena

by Effrosyni Moschoudi

  When he heard her gasp, Phevos knelt beside her. She pointed out her finding, and when he ran his fingertips over it, his eyes lit up. He jolted upright and took the necklace out from under his shirt.

  “What are you doing?”

  “The necklace! The necklace is the key, Ksenia!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Why didn’t I think of it earlier? My father always had it on him! Only the necklace could be the key to this door!”

  “Phevos, what made you reach this conclusion? I don’t see how—”

  “Here!” He knelt beside her again. “Look on the back of the pendant!”

  Ksenia watched as he turned it over. Its back was bare except for the engraved figure of a crescent moon. She hadn’t noticed that before, as she’d only seen the necklace once or twice. As for Phevos, he knew this mark was there, but he’d never questioned it. The necklace was a wondrous article in itself. Until now, he hadn't thought to look for clues on it and thus hadn’t wondered why that crescent was there.

  Ksenia placed a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God!”

  Phevos put the necklace close to the owl for them to compare the two shapes. The engraved crescent on the pendant had a smooth surface, but on one edge, there was a tiny hole. The embossed crescent that hid in the foliage under the owl’s feet had the same size and was its exact mirror image. On one of its edges, instead of a hole, this one had a tiny tongue of gold. Phevos felt certain that if these two crescents came in contact, they’d lock on each other like long lost friends.

  “Try to put one crescent on the other, Phevos,” whispered Ksenia. “Carefully!” she added as he moved to do it, praying inside that it worked.

  Phevos tried to get the two crescents to lock together, by using small, circular movements. When they heard a faint click, Phevos and Ksenia exchanged a look of wonder and hope.

  “What now?” Phevos still held the pendant against the door at the exact position where the crescents had locked on each other. He tried to push the door but it didn’t give.

  “Try to turn it around instead of pushing it in.”

  Phevos’s eyes lit up. “Like a key?”

  “Yes! Like you would turn a key in a keyhole!”

  “Good idea!” Phevos turned the pendant clockwise. He pushed again, but to no avail, then turned the pendant anticlockwise hoping for a miracle. Another faint click sounded then and, this time, Phevos didn’t have to push the door in. Before their widened eyes, it opened on its own, creaking, a gaping doorway to a humid darkness.

  Phevos and Ksenia stood motionless for a few moments, as the heavy, musty air from within hit their nostrils. Ksenia shivered as she stared into the gloom, and Phevos picked up two large flashlights from the ground. He turned them on and handed her one. In her eyes, he saw her determination and knew they were both ready. He entered first and she followed. The beams of light shone on the opposite, mossy wall, then moved around the full stretch of the cave.

  “Just as I imagined. This is the secret cave of Athena!” Phevos ventured further inside with caution, looking around with wonder.

  “You’re right . . . There! The two thrones of stone against the walls, opposite each other. Just like you said!”

  Phevos chuckled. “I bet you’re sorry you didn’t let Manos come along.”

  “No, not really. I’m still glad I never told him we were doing this today, as he would have wanted to come along, and I wasn’t going to put him in danger. We didn’t know what lay behind the door.”

  “Well, I agree. Sending him off to play with his friends at the square was the best thing to do. I’d have done the same if I were you, Ksenia.”

  “I just hope he won't be too mad at me tonight when I tell him the truth.” She chewed her lip.

  “I’m sure he’ll be fine once he hears all about it—”

  “Look! There’s the altar, Phevos!”

  “Yes!” They both inched forward. “This is where my father first saw this very necklace.” His voice wavered as his fingertips pressed against the pendant. He still held it in his hand like a precious security pass that granted him unhindered passage.

  “He was only nine years old, wasn’t he?”

  “Yes. And it all happened here, by this altar.” He approached the imposing centerpiece of the cave, his face ecstatic.

  “This is amazing . . .” Ksenia followed, her face alight with mystification. “How could this place be in my orchard all these years, hidden from view? Although, this explains why your father chose to live in my house, of all places.”

  “Yes, this is incredible, but I’m sure that in time we’ll find out the whole truth behind all the mystery.”

  They used their flashlights to explore the walls around them, finding all the details Phevos knew from his father’s stories, including the torches that hung from the walls and the large ceramic vases in one corner. They stood in a neat line, set deep in the dirt against the wall, unharmed by time, with intricate designs and delicate handles. Phevos knew that Athena had once stored olive oil in them. As he looked at the ancient vases, he wondered if they were still full from those days or if his father had kept them there empty as a tribute to her, to remind him they’d once stored the most precious gift she’d ever thought to offer to this magnificent and brave city.

  “It must have been Athena who tore our families apart. There can't be another explanation, Ksenia. And the destruction of the cave by my father has to be his reaction to that.”

  “I think you’re right . . . I wonder what happened . . . But most of all, I wonder why your father opted to destroy the cave instead of using it to bring you all back.”

  “Perhaps he couldn’t. In any case, I expect we’ll find out in the end. My father must have been determined to destroy this place. From what he told me, not only did he obliterate the interior, but he also sealed the entrance with large rocks just to make sure that no one would ever discover it, not even by chance.”

  “But I don’t understand, Phevos. If he destroyed it in the past then how come it’s here now, unharmed?”

  Phevos shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. My father was forever speaking about the relation between cause and effect. Any change in the past, will affect the future. Therefore, if he destroyed the cave in the past, it shouldn’t exist today unscathed.”

  “And yet it does!”

  “Yes, indeed it does. Perhaps divine intervention has made this possible. Perhaps it was the will of a god, powerful enough to break the space-time continuum, causing an upset in the all powerful law of cause and effect.”

  “But who would do that? Athena?”

  “I don’t know, Ksenia, any more than you do. My father never spoke of an association with another god and never explained anything to me. I don’t even know why he destroyed the cave, or why he stopped serving Athena.” He shook his head forlornly. “As you know, he never even told me anything about my mother or our separation from her.”

  “How could he not tell you anything about your mother, Phevos? It doesn’t make sense!”

  “My father never mentioned her. And don’t forget that neither did your parents, who lived with me back then all these years. There has to be a reason behind their silence. It’s like they were somehow sworn to secrecy.”

  “Athena has to be behind all this. My parents, your father and you, you all left overnight. She must have taken you all away against your will! You’d never have left your mother behind and neither would my parents have chosen to leave Manos and me.”

  “This is the only logical explanation I can accept, too. And yet, I can't understand why my father taught me to honor Athena as he raised me. Why not voice his anger instead? Why all this secrecy? And why would he even mention that he destroyed the cave if he was unwilling to disclose the reason? Thinking back now, it’s like he tried to sow a doubt in my head. Like he was trying to tell me there was something wrong, that she wasn’t to be revered, after all.”

  “I’m sure there’s a re
ason for everything. As you said, we’ll find out in the end.” Ksenia gave Phevos a slow, encouraging smile and opened her arms to embrace him. When she moved away again, her eyes rested on the necklace in his hands.

  “If only we knew why your father didn’t use this necklace to bring you all back!” She gave an exasperated sigh. “I just can’t figure out why, instead of holding on to it for dear life, he let it wind up in the sea, somehow. Did he lose it? Did Athena take it from him? Do you even know how the necklace wound up in the sea?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “And yet it made its appearance in your life in the most unexpected manner.”

  Phevos nodded, his expression wistful.

  “And next thing you knew, you and Daphne wound up here.”

  “That’s right. For Daphne and me, it all happened in a different way to my father’s stories. We never used the cave to travel in time like my father used to.”

  “You said the necklace itself acted to make this happen.”

  “Yes. Somehow, it got activated once we got in the fountain.”

  “Why don’t you tell me again how you found the necklace?”

  “Now? Here?” Phevos spread out his arms as he stood in the middle of the dark room, surprised with her sense of timing. They were still standing before the altar. He’d just noticed something was out of place there but before he could voice his thoughts, Ksenia interrupted him again. She felt strongly about this.

  “Why not? If indeed this is the secret sanctum of Athena, perhaps this is the most apt place for you to try to remember every single detail. Maybe I’m clutching at straws here, but even if you manage to recall from memory one tiny new detail, it could make a difference. It might give us yet another clue to complete the surreal jigsaw puzzle you landed on me as you waltzed into my life!” Ksenia winked and flashed him a wicked smile.

  Phevos mirrored her expression, despite the eerie darkness that engulfed them. He turned his back to the altar and leaned against it. What he’d noticed there could wait.

  He tried to gather his thoughts in order to recall that incredible experience again as best as he could. He let his hands drop to his sides, the flashlight shining on the dirt by his feet. He closed his eyes in the semi-darkness, and Ksenia gazed into his face, her arms entwined around his waist.

  Phevos took a deep breath and willed himself to relax so he could recapture the memories from his twentieth birthday. The first image that sprang up in his head was pleasant. His father was happy and smiling from ear to ear as he stood in the kitchen, directing the servants as the seafood supplies came in. He was hosting a large banquet that evening to celebrate Phevos’s birthday in the company of extended family and friends.

  “It was around midday.” Phevos sighed and opened his eyes, resting them on the far, mossy wall. “My father had ordered a generous amount of fish for that day’s dinner. It was to be supplied by a good friend of his, who was the captain of a large fishing boat. He’d had a remarkable catch that day. He was a fearless captain who sailed in open waters with plenty of fish but also powerful sea currents that other fishermen with smaller boats steered clear of. One of these spots was located just off the coast of Sounio that’s famous for the temple of God Poseidon, the protector of the sea and of all who fares on and in it.

  The captain had caught a large amount of fish including sea bass, sardine, mackerel and red mullet. A huge fish also wound up in his net, nearly breaking it in its attempt to break free. It wriggled out but the captain speared it and hauled it onto the boat with the assistance of his crew.

  Everyone marveled at it when it landed on the deck with a heavy thud, its skin glistening in the sunlight, its sharp teeth sparkling like pearls. It was a medium-sized dogfish. It caused a big uproar in the kitchen among the staff when the men brought it in, still in one piece. By the time they started gutting it with a large knife, the whole household had gathered around to admire it. As they started clearing its insides, the incredible happened. Something was sparkling in its stomach.

  We all moved closer, drawn by the irresistible glow that came from its core as the strong rays of the midday sun graced the kitchen through the large windows. The cook dipped his hand inside the bloody mess, and when he opened it, we all gasped at the beautiful golden necklace with the long chain that lay in his palm. We all froze at the sight, except for my father, who lunged forward snatching it from the cook’s hand. He hurried to a tub of water and cleaned it of the blood that stained it.

  When he raised his hand to see it in the light more clearly, his hand was shaking. The beautiful pendant with the mesmerizing moonstone in its midst sparkled like nothing we’d ever seen before. Both Daphne and I recognized it, of course. Our father had described Athena’s necklace countless times to us. He’d never disclosed its whereabouts to us, and we’d never seen it before, not until that day. It came as a shock to us, of course, for we thought it was still in our father’s possession.

  The servants were also stunned although they didn’t know what it was, but its beauty was so great that they found no words among them to describe it, not even to speak about it. And as we all stood speechless, just watching my father holding it with trembling hands, he commanded the servants to leave the room. They were taken aback, for it was so unexpected and out of character for him to act like this, but they obeyed all the same.

  As soon as they all cleared the room, my father came to me and Daphne, mumbling to himself, too low for us to hear, and rested one hand on my shoulder. I can still remember his eyes . . . They were huge, burning like fire, boring holes of angst into my mind. I knew then that something terrible had happened or was about to happen, and I could tell that my life would never be the same again. My father put the necklace in my hand and ordered me to wait.

  He hurried to his private quarters and came back with some clothes and a pair of shoes. This is what I was wearing when you first met me, Ksenia. So, you see, my father knew this was going to happen one day and he was prepared! He ordered me to go to my quarters at once, to change into these clothes and to return with haste. His eyes still burned, and his voice carried such an urgency that left me with no opportunity to argue or to question. So I obeyed and when I returned to the kitchen, I found Daphne in tears. She was hysterical, and she was begging him to explain what was going on, but my father had no words for her. He just held her in his arms, soothing her, asking her to calm down.

  As soon as I returned, he left me alone with Daphne in the middle of the room and rushed to a counter where we stored olives, herbs and condiments. Daphne and I watched as he rummaged through vases and pots, looking for something. I looked around and noticed Kimon and Eleni were still there. At the far end of the adjoining sitting area, they were perched at the end of a large bench holding each other, watching my father in silence, just like we did.”

  “My parents were there?” asked Ksenia. Until that time, she’d been leaning against Phevos as she listened with her eyes shut, but this detail caused her to jolt upright, snapping back into the present.

  “Funny, isn’t it? I just remembered that.” Phevos reached out to hold her again, his face beaming.

  “Last time you said everyone had left when your father ordered them to go. You said you and Daphne were alone with him by that time—”

  “I know! But I remember clearly now. Your parents were watching from that bench holding each other. They were crying Ksenia . . . They were crying, but their faces were exultant! I remember now how this was baffling to me at the time, but now I realize they were crying tears of joy!”

  “They knew, Phevos! They knew what was happening!”

  “Yes, Ksenia. They knew! Just like my father knew what it all meant and what was going to happen next. Their hearts must have been full of hope at the time.”

  “My poor, poor parents! How they must have suffered . . .” Hot tears escaped from Ksenia’s eyes, yet she felt stronger now, full of renewed hope. She wiped the tears from her face and tried to smile. “Carry on,
Phevos. What happened next? Tell me again.”

  “Well, we watched our father for a while as he kept rummaging through all kinds of containers. We were both numb by then, and I held Daphne in my arms as she sobbed. Her eyes were begging me to keep her close. It was like she knew I was about to go away, and she didn’t want to let me go. Then, our father found a pot of coarse sea salt. He took a big handful and rushed back to us, then took the necklace from me. He grabbed my arm, urging me to hurry with him outside, and asked Daphne to stay behind but she refused. Wailing, she rushed behind us as he dragged me by the arm all the way to our estate’s front gate. From there, we hurried along the path that led to a small, public square on the edge of the forest where I used to play when I was small. A fountain stood in the middle of the square, which was quiet at the time.

  To my surprise, my father dragged me into the fountain and Daphne followed us inside. The water was knee-deep and more spurted from the taps, splashing on us, crystal drops sparkling in the sun like diamonds. We stood under the spray, and my father told Daphne to get out of the fountain. He was demanding but, to my surprise, Daphne stood her ground. She refused to leave my side and begged him in a way he couldn’t ignore.

  I watched as our father’s expression turned from exasperation into despair and finally into love and tenderness for her. He took Daphne’s hand and put it in mine, then placed the necklace around my neck, careful not to lose the sea salt in his hand. He said something to me then, and it was the only thing he said before we parted. He said, ‘Follow the signs!’ I was too numb to speak, so I never asked him to explain what he meant. His whole body was shaking, and my heart went to him, for he looked deeply tormented. He kissed us on our foreheads and stepped out of the fountain.

  Daphne and I stood in the water holding hands, shivering. Through the spray we saw our father swing his arm and throw the sea salt in the water. He said something but we couldn’t hear it, for the jet from the taps was powerful, even louder than before. He looked exhausted, drawn, and his eyes were full of tears. Then, the water started to shimmer, then glint like gold, growing brighter and brighter by the second. Daphne and I looked around us, panic rendering us frozen. Everything was so bright we became almost blinded. A murmur rose up from the water and, within seconds, it had grown to a mighty roar that was deafening while the whole world around us began to shake. Through the golden haze that still blinded us, we saw our father looking at us. I could swear I saw a faint smile on his face then, despite his tears. It was a glimmer of hope beyond the grief that consumed him. And then, we were through the Passage to this world. The rest you know . . .”